Extended Nursing

HI
I'm from the AP board but wanted to ask if anyone heard about dry nursing..i think that my dd (16mths) is doing it..i don't hear her swallow she goes to dycare and never asks to nurse during the day. We cosleep and she wakes up often every 2-3hrs and i she *nurses* for 1min-3min...and i don't hear her swallow...i feel her nibbling and that's driving me nuts! could it be that there's no milk? it's ok if that's the case we canmove on..but she still wakes and lifts my shirt up to *nurse*

-any advice??
ingrid and isabel(16mths)

Congratulations! You're a binky!!!

I just night-weaned my 24 month old who was "dry nursing" and making me nuts too. She wouldn't suck to coax the milk out. She just wanted it in her mouth for comfort. When she was younger and my milk was her main source of nutrition, I'd give it to her any time she asked in order to encourage my supply. But in the last couple months, it became little more than a habit that was keeping both of us from sleeping. I did the transition from shared bed to toddler bed while I was night-weaning, and I think it helped.

No real advice, just wanted to let you know you're not the only one!

d~

Yep, my DS does this occasionally also.  I call it "pretend nursing" because he just moves his mouth a little.  It's sooooo annoying.  When he started this, I'd say "drink your milk"  if he didn't start sucking, I take the breast away and tell him if he wants to nurse, he has to suck not just pretend nurse.  He gets the idea now, when I say "drink your milk" he starts sucking really hard and gulping, LOL. 

As far as the term "dry nursing", I've only heard it in reference to the actual act of nursing without an adequate supply to lubricate the nipple.  This happens to me when DS nurses for an extended period of time, there just isn't enough milk coming to lubricate and my nipples get sore.